Hockey: India celebrate return to the Olympics

NEW DEHLI: India celebrated the hockey team’s return to the Olympics but their coach warned that the fight back to the top had just begun. The team, which failed to qualify for the Beijing Games four years ago, booked a place in the London Olympics with an 8-1 demolition of France in the final of the qualifying tournament in New Delhi, led by Sandeep Singh’s five penalty-corner goals. Australian coach Michael Nobbs, however, said a lot of hard work still needed to be done. “Miracles don’t happen overnight,” said Nobbs. “Qualifying for the Olympics was very important but it’s only a start. My main goal is that after five years the team should be confident of a podium finish.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2012.